A decade of teaching Czech to preschoolers in Ireland: what are the magic ingredients?
“Parents think it will be easy for their children to pick up multiple languages — because children are like little sponges,” said guest speaker Ivana Rocca Kovářová at the most recent FOHLC Café (Forum of Heritage Language Coalitions in Europe). “But then their children start school in Ireland and they see what a challenge it is.”
Seeing the need for extra support, Ivana and her colleague founded the Czech School Dublin little more than ten years ago. “We started in the garden of a friend’s house, with five children,” she recalled. Not long after, the school gained access to a community center and the local library for its classes.
“We know children need to move at this age to learn and stay focused.”
Ivana manages the preschool section which contains two groups: “Talking with preschoolers” for children aged 3 to 5 and “Zero Year” for children aged 5 to 7 which she also leads as a teacher. Every Saturday, they meet for 75 and 90 minutes, respectively, for action-packed learning. They sing songs, play games, do crafts, and stay physically active. “We know children need to move at this age to learn and stay focused.”
Having completed Educational Studies in Brno, the Czech Republic, Ivana brings professional expertise into every lesson. “We always start and end with a song, so there is a predictable, comforting routine.” The program works with monthly themes, and also uses immersion methods, creating a Czech-rich environment during class time.
The Czech School doesn’t stop with preschoolers — it provides classes for older children too, and even prepares students for the secondary-school voluntary Czech exam, which is now available in Ireland. Several pupils have successfully completed the exam and got their Leaving Certificate in Czech thanks in part to support from the school.
“We couldn't do it without the Erasmus students!”
“One form of support we couldn’t do without is the Erasmus students who come from the Czech Republic,” Ivana said. The school has welcomed around thirty such student assistants and student teachers over the years, studying everything from Czech language to early childhood education, history, special needs, and speech therapy. “We couldn’t do it without them!”
One ongoing challenge is helping parents understand what to expect from the program. “Some parents bring their children here and think the situation is sorted. But in reality, they also need to support the child at home.” To help with this, the school provides weekly activity sheets so the preschoolers and parents can practice together between lessons.
Another challenge is the lack of storage space — meaning teachers haul substantial lesson materials back and forth each week. “We would love to have some storage at the library,” Ivana noted. Despite this, the team meets each Saturday with enthusiasm — and many children wake up excited for Czech class.
So, the magic ingredients? Early Years expertise, young and eager volunteers from Ireland and the home country, and a lot of dedication!
A warm thank-you to Ivana for sharing her inspiring work with us at the FOHLC Café, and to everyone who joined us.
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